Hotel Provincial

Two Courtyards, One Family, Six Decades on Chartres Street

The Dupepe family bought this two-story brick building in 1961 and has run it ever since, a stretch of continuity rare enough on its own in a city where hotels change hands often. The property sits on the National Register of Historic Places, and the small lobby still carries its original bones: an antique front desk, checkered tile floors and an overhanging chandelier that has watched more decades of Chartres Street than most of its guests. A few swear the halls are haunted, which fits a block that also holds the 1826 Beauregard-Keyes House across the street and the Old Ursuline Convent further along.

Why It Works

We chose Hotel Provincial for the thing most French Quarter hotels cannot offer: two real courtyards, brick-lined and planted, each built around its own pool and fountain, a genuine buffer from the street outside. One pool suits lap swimming, the other sits ringed by trees and wrought-iron lounge chairs under a lion's-head fountain. Add rooms with exposed brick and antique Southern furniture, and the hotel reads as a retreat that happens to sit inside the Quarter rather than a hotel trying to compete with it.

Why This Location

1024 Rue Chartres sits in the Vieux Carré, close enough to the center of things without opening onto it: Jackson Square is about a six-minute walk, the French Market closer to three, and Café du Monde about two blocks off. Bourbon Street is roughly six minutes away too, near enough for an evening out and far enough that the courtyards stay quiet at night. Decatur Street's shops and bars sit two minutes out, and the Beauregard-Keyes House and Old Ursuline Convent make the block itself worth a slow walk before heading further into the Quarter.

Fast Facts

• Prix: Luxe

• Vibe: Historic, courtyard-centered, family-run

• Chambres: 92, several with balconies over the courtyards or the street

• Best For: Travelers who want French Quarter walkability with a quiet courtyard to retreat to

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: the two brick-lined courtyard pools, one built for laps and one for lounging under a lion's-head fountain

• Dining: Ice House Bar and restaurant, with a complimentary continental breakfast each morning

• Amenities: two outdoor pools, planted courtyards, business centre, meeting and event space for up to 60 guests

• Attractions: Jackson Square (6-minute walk), French Market (3-minute walk), Café du Monde (2 blocks), Bourbon Street (6-minute walk)

Rooms With River Views and a Little Patina

No two rooms here look quite alike: antique Southern furnishings, exposed brick fireplaces and plenty of natural light run through most of them, and a number open onto balconies facing the river, the pools or the private courtyards below. Flat-screen TVs, Sealy Plush mattresses and updated bathrooms keep the rooms livable without erasing the building's age, though travelers sensitive to the smell of older furniture should know the antiques are original rather than restored to showroom condition. There are no minibars, but vending machines cover the gap.

Two Pools, a Fountain Courtyard and the Ice House Bar

The main courtyard's central fountain and brick paths can host a small wedding of up to twenty guests, and both pools come with fresh towels and loungers rather than a self-serve stack by the door. Ice House Bar and restaurant handles food and happy hour on site, and the Latrobe Room takes meetings, banquets or weddings for up to sixty people when the courtyard itself is not an option. It is a hotel built for guests who plan to spend real time on the property, not just sleep in it.

Before You Book

Check-in runs from 3pm, check-out at noon, and the hotel accepts children but not pets. Free Wi-Fi, HBO and a complimentary continental breakfast are included, and a business centre with one computer and a printer covers light work. Parking and valet are available for a fee, useful on a street built for foot and carriage traffic rather than cars.